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The FA did not provide an independent assessment during Lucas Paqueta's spot-fixing case, claims an extensive report after the Brazilian was acquitted.

'Obvious flaw' in case claims reportHeavy criticism of FAPaqueta was cleared of the chargesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

As reported by , a 'damning' 314-page report has been submitted by the commission which looked into Paqueta's case after the West Ham star was charged with four counts of spot-fixing in May 2024, nearly a year after investigations into the charges began. The Brazil international has since been cleared of all charges but the controversy may not yet be over. The report claims that the FA's failure to provide an independent assessment of the betting data involved was an "obvious flaw".

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The report also claims that the FA contradicted the statements of its main witness, FA betting integrity investigator Tom Astley, leading the commission to believe that the FA "was not altogether certain what case it was presenting against the player".

The charges claimed that Paqueta deliberately picked up a yellow card in four Premier League matches between November 2022 and August 2023 for the financial gain of loved ones back in Brazil – charges that the 28-year-old was acquitted of. It is understood that the FA are not planning to appeal the verdict.

WHAT THE COMMISSION SAID

The commission's report continued: “The commission wishes to record its surprise that at the investigation stage of what were clearly serious matters… the FA were apparently not interested in what the player had to say, notwithstanding his stance, taken on advice, in the first interview."

Nick De Marco KC, who represented Paqueta, claimed on X that the report was “understood to be the longest sports-related judgment ever issued in the world, a reflection of how serious the case was, and the amount of evidence deployed in the biggest case in the FA’s history”.

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It is not known whether Paqueta or the outcome of the legal procedure will be impacted by the commission's report. Considering the evidence presented during the hearings, which pointed towards the verdict of the player's innocence, it is more likely that the document aims to target the FA and its approach to such cases in the future. Nevertheless, it will not be pleasant reading for Paqueta or his family to see such criticism of a situation where his career was on the line.

Former Chelsea and England defender John Terry has revealed he was turned down for manager roles for not having enough experience as a coach.

• Terry not pursing manager career
• Still works in Chelsea's academy
• Previously had assistant roles

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Terry says he has given up on trying to become a manager due to the rejections he has received when applying for roles. The former centre-back previously had coaching roles with Dean Smith at both Aston Villa and Leicester after calling time on his playing career in 2018, having won every trophy there is to win with Chelsea.

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  Plenty of players from Terry's era have gone into coaching in recent years, with the likes of Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Mikel Arteta among others getting manager roles. However, Terry has admitted he is "baffled" by some of the jobs certain figures in football have managed to snare ahead of him. 

• WHAT TERRY SAID

  Terry told : “I’m done in terms of coaching. I’m enjoying my life, I’m working in the Chelsea academy.

  “I went for a couple of jobs and those days are gone for me. I’m enjoying my life a little bit, I’ve got my time to myself, I play a bit of golf, I’m in the academy and I have some family time as well.

  “I absolutely wanted it. When I went into Villa I got great experience under Dean Smith and we got promotion, which was incredible. 

  “As an assistant coach in the Premier League and the experience I’ve had as a player and an individual captain in both Chelsea and England, I thought that would be enough to get me a job. 

  “I’m not saying a job in the Premier League or the Championship – but a job at League One level. 

  “I didn’t even get a sniff. I had interviews and it was just ‘you have no experience’. 

  “When I see some people managing today, it baffles me, it really does. 

  “In terms of ‘am I frustrated’, yes, absolutely because I have a lot of good attributes to be a really good coach or a really good manager but, unfortunately, that’s not happened.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TERRY?

  Terry was recently spotted as a manager in the six-a-side Baller League competition but for now most of his coaching will continue at Chelsea on a part-time basis as he looks to mould the next generation of Blues stars.

Valencia are set to offer a new contract extension to Javi Guerra as they attempt to fight off interest from Manchester United and AC Milan.

Guerra has rejected Valencia's contract renewalMidfielder is interested in working out a deal United and AC Milan have also shown interestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old midfielder was quick to reject Valencia's extension proposal, but the Spanish club are confident that they can get him to put pen to paper with further discussions. According to , the Spaniard is happy to continue at Valencia but wants the club to meet certain criteria, ranging from increasing his wages to competing at the top level of football rather than fighting for survival in the Spanish League.

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Guerra's current contract expires in 2027, and Valencia are interested in extending it to 2029. In the contract proposed to Guerra, the club offered him increased wages, which would have increased year-on-year and would have earned the midfielder €15 million (£13m/$17m) over four years. However, Guerra didn't like the initial base salary, finding it unfeasible. Valencia consider Guerra to be one for the future and are willing to accommodate changes to the offer.

Guerra's demands, however, go beyond the salary figures. In addition to increased wages, the player wants the club to have a better sporting project, one that can compete at the top level. United and Milan have shown interest, with the latter having even launched a bid of €16m (£14m/$18m) plus €4m in bonuses.

DID YOU KNOW?

Valencia are not willing to part ways with Guerra, not only because they don't want to lose out on a future star, but also because his contract has a sell-on clause. As per the sell-on clause, Villarreal, Guerra's former club, will receive 30 per cent of the transfer fee from Guerra's sale. This means that for the club to make a profit of over €20m (£17m/$23m), Valencia will have to sell Guerra for more than €28m (£24m/$32m), a figure that no club is willing to match at this time.

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The player's camp are receptive to the contract offered, as they believe that through further discussions, they will reach a common ground. Guerra, who was born and raised in Valencia, is reportedly interested in continuing his career at Mestalla Stadium. Valencia are also optimistic about retaining Guerra and have since rejected Milan's offer.

Morgan Gibbs-White has held showdown talks with Nottingham Forest as he bids to force through his move to Tottenham Hotspur.

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• Spurs triggered Gibbs-White's release clause
• Forest make 'legal complaint'
• Player wants the move

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Friday, Spurs triggered Gibbs-White's £60 million ($81m) release clause, with the England ace keen to make the move to north London. Since, however, Forest have attempted to block the move by threatening legal action against the Europa League winners.

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  Per the Daily Mail, the playmaker has now held showdown talks with club bosses as he attempts to make the move happen. It is currently unclear if Forest can actually stop the move happening, or merely delay it. The report states that the Premier League are currently weighing their options in terms of an investigation.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Spurs have already signed Mohammed Kudus from West Ham and Kota Takai from Kawasaki Frontale. They have also signed Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel permanently after initial loan spells.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Gibbs-White has returned to Forest training as he prepares for the new season. Whether he will be wearing red or white remains to be seen.

The Reds have already spent big this summer, but they have plenty more work to do before their Premier League title defence begins

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For a club that likes to go the odd year without a signing, Liverpool sure are getting some major business done early this summer. They've secured long-term successors to full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong and Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez, while there was also the small matter of breaking the British transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz for £116 million ($158m), add-ons dependent.

There were plenty of jokes over Richard Hughes' appointment as sporting director when all he did in his first window was make the low-risk signing of Federico Chiesa on a cut-price deal from Juventus. They all laughed at him, and you have to say, they aren't laughing now. The Reds mean business, and are cleary not content on simply winning the Premier League. Their window of opportunity is open and they are doing all they can this summer to ensure they take advantage.

Three marquee signings down, there's still work for Liverpool to get done before the window closes, be that internally or externally. GOAL runs through the seven priorities left to sort ahead of the deadline:

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  Move on from Nunez

  Jurgen Klopp learned during his final season at Liverpool that you simply can't bring the knife of Darwin Nunez to a Premier League title race gun fight. Arne Slot learned during his first season at Liverpool that the Uruguayan is serviceable as a backup, but little more.

  The cult of Nunez, with his intriguing manic ability to create chances as easily as he misses them, isn't as enjoyable when the pressure is actually on. Had the Reds been under threat for top spot during 2024-25, his wastefulness may have come back to haunt them.

  With a series of clubs, including Italian champions Napoli as well as those in the Saudi Pro League, actively interested in taking Nunez off of their hands, Liverpool should definitely be looking to part ways with the divisive striker this summer. In fairness, it sounds like they are indeed keen on moving him on.

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  Find a good deal for Elliott

  For two or three years now, Harvey Elliott has been tipped to emerge as Liverpool's next big thing. He's still only 22, but that explosion from squad player to unquestionable regular hasn't happened yet.

  The Reds have ambitions to win it all again next season, but where exactly Elliott will fit into the fold remains up for debate. On his preferred right wing, Mohamed Salah isn't showing any signs of slowing down and has signed a contract extension. In midfield, he wasn't getting much of a look in even before Wirtz came through the Anfield doors.

  Elliott did not make a Premier League start last season until the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea that came a week after Liverpool had wrapped up the Premier League title, and clocked only 822 minutes across all competitions. It was never going to be easy for him to build momentum having gone into Slot's first year with a broken foot, yet he did little to sway the Dutchman even after returning to fitness.

  A summer exit may be best for all parties, and Elliott himself has opened the door to that possibility: "I need to reflect. I need to see if I'm content in doing what I'm doing and how can I improve as a player, because that's the most important thing. I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself. If that's to go somewhere else, then it's a decision that I'm going to have to make, and I just need to see what happens."

  Brighton are among the teams said to hold an interest in Elliott, and Liverpool should seek to extract both the most value from any permanent sale, as well as stick a buy-back clause or equivalent into such a deal.

• AFP
  

  Stand firm on Diaz & Gakpo

  Liverpool manage to keep a lid on crazy transfer speculation in regards to incomings, but they cannot always help when another club becomes enamoured in those already on their books. It just so happens that Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo are being targeted by two of the most public-facing teams in European football in Barcelona and Bayern Munich, respectively.

  Barca's interest in Diaz dates back to last summer, when they tried and failed to get the Colombian out of Merseyside to Catalunya. It didn't feel like it was ever plausible due to their financial issues a year ago, and they still haven't cleared to this day. Athletic Club's Nico Williams and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford appear to be higher on their shortlist, too.

  Bayern's half-hearted courtship of Gakpo is interesting as Liverpool haven't necessarily issued a hands-off warning, with a modest £42m (€50m) price quoted in the German media. Nevertheless, the Reds shouldn't be entertaining bids for either winger given their useful versatility across the frontline and familiarity with Slot already.

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  Avoid another Alexander-Arnold situation

  The noises coming out of Anfield regarding Ibrahima Konate's contract situation have not been reassuring. It was reported by the earlier this week that he's been left 'disappointed' with Liverpool's latest offer of a new deal, believing he should be afforded a higher basic wage given his contributions to the club in four years of service.

  With only 12 months left to run on current terms, the Reds are again facing the prospect of losing a key player against their will. Ironically, Real Madrid are again the interested party having already acquired Alexander-Arnold. Liverpool cannot afford to let that happen again, or allow this to become a recurring theme in their business – there's already a decent enough chance Salah and Virgil van Dijk are allowed to walk off into the sunset for free when their new deals expire in 2027.

  If Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or any another team eyeing Konate want him, the Reds should either open their doors for business this summer or get back to the negotiating table with the 26-year-old as soon as possible. There has to be a resolution before the transfer deadline.

With PIF aiming to fast-track Newcastle United’s progress, the Magpies have reportedly set their sights on signing an attacking reinforcement who’s assisted more goals than Anthony Gordon this season.

Newcastle eyeing Murphy upgrade

Fresh from the dreamland of Wembley success, Newcastle United are seemingly looking to keep their momentum going in pursuit of Champions League qualification and the reinforcements that could follow.

Already, names such as Semih Kilicsoy and Tammy Abraham have been mentioned as targets that Paul Mitchell could chase this summer, but they could just be the start if Newcastle are unleashed from their PSR shackles at long last.

Abraham is a particularly interesting target, given his previous Premier League spell at Chelsea. The forward has endured a mixed spell in Italy since leaving Stamford Bridge, having found his form at AS Roma before injury struck and struggles arrived ever since.

PIF ready record Newcastle move to stop Isak joining Arsenal or Liverpool

Losing him would be a major blow for the Magpies.

ByHenry Jackson Mar 19, 2025

Now, four years on from joining the Serie A, Abraham could be on his way back to English football, courtesy of Newcastle. However, he’s not the only attacking target that the Magpies have reportedly set their sights on.

According to The i Paper, Newcastle are now plotting a summer move to sign Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP after identifying a new target to complete Eddie Howe’s frontline once and for all.

Like Abraham, Trincao has unfinished business in the Premier League after going down as a transfer flop at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2021 only to steal several headlines ever since at Sporting.

Following an excellent spell in Portugal, the winger could be ready to step back into England’s top flight and offer Newcastle an instant upgrade on Jacob Murphy. As impressive as Howe’s winger has been this season, it remains to be seen whether he can match the star power of Alexander Isak, Gordon and perhaps even Trincao.

"Terrific" Trincao would complete Newcastle attack

If Newcastle are looking to step into the Champions League on a permanent basis, then signing a player of Trincao’s calibre would certainly be a good start. Dubbed “terrific” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the winger has only reached greater heights ever since and is now at the peak of his powers at 25 years old.

Starts

26

25

Goals

8

6

Assists

11

5

With more goal involvements than Gordon this season, it’s clear that Trincao has the talent to step into Howe’s strongest side if Newcastle decide to make their move this summer.

With 15 assists and nine goals to his name in all competitions, the winger would particularly thrive next to one of Europe’s best strikers in Isak, whose own numbers could increase to even greater levels next season.

On paper, a front three of Gordon, Isak and Trincao is certainly worthy of Champions League football. However, whether that proves to be the case remains to be seen, as PIF potentially flex their financial muscles once again at long last.

England opener delivers in fine style to set up England’s shot at Ashes-levelling win

Andrew Miller20-Jul-2023

Zak Crawley cracks another shot through the covers•Getty Images

Right from the moment he drilled the first ball of the Ashes – from Pat Cummins at Edgbaston – for four, Zak Crawley has looked in the mood to repay the unequivocal faith that he’s been shown by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum since the start of the Bazball era.On the second day at Old Trafford, he delivered on that promise with an extraordinary innings of 189 from 182 balls – an innings that took the attack to Australia’s bowlers in such an uncompromising fashion that, weather permitting, England already seem to be on course for an Ashes-squaring victory.And speaking to Sky Sports at the close, Crawley acknowledged that his pedal-to-the-metal approach had been causing him some moments of self-doubt, in spite of the relentless positive reinforcement that emanates from England’s dressing-room. However, this performance, with the series on the line, made all the harder times worthwhile.”Today was good day for us. We are in a good position as a team,” Crawley said after England had rattled along to 382 for 4, a lead of 67. “It was good fun. I rode my luck at times but hit some good shots along the way.”I do doubt myself at times but I have to say ‘keep being me’,” he added. “That is the way I play. I am quite streaky but then I go on a run. They [coach and captain] tell me to go out and have an impact at the top of the order. Sometimes I am going to have streaks of a low scores, because I’m taking a punt, but thankfully today it came off.”Speaking last summer, in the midst of a run of low scores that had left Crawley’s career average in the mid-20s and his place under media scrutiny, McCullum declared that his “skillset is not to be a consistent cricketer”. Since his series-sealing half-century against South Africa at The Oval, however, Crawley has now racked up 820 runs at 43.15 and a strike rate a notch below 90, while his first Ashes century lifted him to the top of the run-charts for the series, with 385 from 428 balls at 55.00.”They don’t want me to lose days like today,” Crawley added. “If I try to be more consistent, maybe I wouldn’t have a day like today. I much prefer this, a few low scores and then a big one. [Criticism] is definitely fair, because I haven’t been consistent, but I think I’ve shown that, at my best, I’m good enough for this level. I was pleased with how it went. That was more my template.As with that first-ball boundary at Edgbaston, Crawley’s innings was once again notable for his pre-meditated aggression, not least his first-ball reverse-sweep for four that helped to drive the part-time spin of Travis Head out of Australia’s attack after just six overs for 48. And in keeping with an enduring theme of the series, he was again relentless in his aggression against Cummins in particular, whose 16 overs went for an eye-watering 93.Zak Crawley gets a handshake from Joe Root•Getty Images

“It’s definitely a conscious effort to take them down, because obviously they are great bowlers who are trying to rest [between spells],” Crawley said. “When those bowlers come on, I think it’s important to put them under pressure and so that doesn’t give them time to rest and come back. I’d try to bat time and build an innings like [Joe] Root or any of those guys up there, but it’s much better when I put the bowler under a bit more pressure before they can get me. Sometimes it comes off, and sometimes it doesn’t.”Crawley’s innings will not have convinced all of his doubters, however, even though it has now enabled his average to poke above 30 for the first time since March 2022. By the time he was dismissed, his control percentage, according to ESPNcricinfo’s database, was 70.88%, having been in the mid-60s for much of his knock. On several occasions, he inside-edged past his own stumps for four, while a number of flashes outside off flew over the slips for further boundaries.The man himself, was unrepentant about the good fortune. “I’ve had a lot of nicks over the slips this series,” he said. “And actually, I don’t think that’s good luck. I’ve earned that luck. If you go harder, the ball goes over the slips. So I’d rather err on that side then go negative.”In the course of his onslaught, Crawley brought up his hundred from 93 balls – the second fastest at Old Trafford in Ashes history. And the acclaim he received for the achievement was in stark contrast to his last century in England, his epic 267 against Pakistan in 2020, which was played behind closed doors at the Ageas Bowl due to the pandemic.”The crowd were amazing,” he said. “Obviously I hadn’t scored a hundred in England, apart from in Covid, so there was no-one to clap me off there. But it’s pretty cool to have the whole crowd clapping you off and the Aussies too, some great players there shook my hand, so that’s pretty cool as well. It was an amazing feeling. You have a lot of low scores and bad form along the way. So days like today make it all worth it. I wouldn’t swap it for anything.”Related

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Whisper it quietly but Zak Crawley is so far nailing this Ashes

While Crawley was at the crease, particularly during an astonishing afternoon session in which England racked up 178 runs in 25 overs, a total of 500 in the day seemed on the cards. However, as the ball got older and softer, the going became rather tougher for England – with both Crawley himself and, most notably, Root, succumbing to deliveries that kept visibly low.”The ball definitely went soft. They were trying to change it a lot and it was definitely out of shape, which made it two-paced,” Crawley said. “Joe was so unlucky. That wicket was unplayable and even Stokesy had a couple of pop up at him and keep low. So it might be the oldness of the ball, but hopefully it’s the wicket, and hopefully it keeps playing tricks and we bowl well [in the second innings].”Before then, however, there’s a lead for England to build, and the potential for a declaration given that the weather forecast for the weekend is not entirely promising.”I’ll leave that to the bosses up there,” Crawley said, “but if we can get another 130-140, it’ll be really good. It may be even just another 100, because it’s looks like it’s going to be trickier out there at the back-end, so it could be a good chance to bowl tomorrow afternoon and hopefully get a few wickets.”

Sunderland have agreed a deal to sell a first-team player who is on his way to seal a Stadium of Light exit in the coming days.

Sunderland exit rumours

The Black Cats are on course to finish in the Championship playoff places at the very least in what has been a successful season on the whole so far under Regis Le Bris.

Sunderland have been in the automatic promotion picture for large parts of the season, however, defeats to Leeds United and Hull City last month have seen them fall eight points behind second-place Sheffield United.

Sunderland vs Cardiff City

March 8

Sunderland vs Preston North End

March 11

Coventry City vs Sunderland

March 15

Sunderland vs Millwall

March 29

West Brom vs Sunderland

April 5

Should Le Bris’ side fail to be promoted, then it looks as if numerous clubs could come sniffing for some of their exciting young stars in the summer transfer market.

For example, it has been claimed recently that Crystal Palace already have their eyes on both Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham, whereas Eliezer Mayenda is the subject of “interest” from several Premier League clubs.

Another attacker who has been heavily linked with a move away has been winger Jewison Bennette. There have been talks with Ukrainian side LNZ Cherkasy for the 20-year-old’s services, and the transfer market in Ukraine doesn’t close until March 11.

Now, it looks as if there has been a breakthrough in regards to an exit for Bennette, who is currently on £5,000-a-week at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland agree deal to sell £5,000-a-week player

According to Ihor Burbas, relayed by Sunderland AFC News, Bennette is on his way to LNZ Cherkasy from Sunderland after the two clubs seemingly agreed on a transfer fee.

It is stated that the Black Cats are set to bring in €500,000 (£418,000) for the attacker’s services, a loss on the reported €1.2m (£1m) they paid to sign Bennette back in 2022.

It does appear to make sense for the winger to move on, especially as he saw a January deadline day move to Charlton Athletic fall through, with Le Bris playing him just once all season.

Bennette did have a fan in former boss Tony Mowbray, though, who praised the youngster for getting on the bus home with fans after a match against Preston North End back in 2022.

"From what I hear" – Ex-scout reveals two Sunderland prospects could leave

This will be a concern for Regis Le Bris.

1 ByHenry Jackson Mar 3, 2025

“The legendary Sunderland players of the past. They used to get on the bus. I thought it was great – he’s a lad who is acclimatising and he’s got his dad with him.

“After Watford and his dad hadn’t arranged his trip home. He’d got to Watford and he was stood there and he didn’t know how he was getting home so we allowed him to come on the team coach with us and sit with his son.

“I mean, just the reality of it, he’s come round the world from Costa Rica to watch his son play footy. He didn’t have a clue where Watford was! I was trying to get across to him ‘you’re not on the team bus every game’! But yeah, great that there he is getting on public transport.”

Let’s face it, it’s been hard to argue with much of the work done at Manchester City during the Pep Guardiola era, with the legendary tactician having overseen a stunning period of domestic dominance after claiming four successive Premier League titles.

Things have unravelled somewhat slightly this season, yet the Citizens still appear on course to claim a top-four finish, while FA Cup glory could also be on the agenda again come the end of the campaign.

That said, questions have begun to be asked regarding the club’s recruitment decisions in recent times, with a raft of academy products having gone on to shine elsewhere.

In the Premier League this season, Liam Delap – who departed for £20m last summer – has scored ten goals for relegation strugglers Ipswich Town, while in the Championship, former City stopper James Trafford has been a central part of a Burnley side who have conceded just ten league goals in 2024/25 to date.

Perhaps the biggest frustration, however, may lie in the decision to move on Morgan Rogers on the cheap, with it looking as if the club may well have repeated that mistake prior to the current campaign…

How much Man City sold Morgan Rogers for

Hindsight is a wonderful thing in football, yet Guardiola and co might perhaps have a tinge of regret regarding the decision to part ways with Rogers back in 2023, with the young Englishman having exploded since making the move to Aston Villa.

Still just 22, the midfield machine has already made two senior appearances for his country, while racking up a stellar return of 12 goals and six assists across all fronts. To put that into context, Phil Foden, for instance, has registered just ten goals and six assists across various competitions for Man City this term.

Likened to Real Madrid hero, Jude Bellingham, by pundit Jamie Redknapp, the former Middlesborough ace has dazzled since signing for Villa back in January 2024, with that initial £8m fee looking like a real bargain for the Midlands side.

Boro, too, may also be thankful for having made a significant profit on their initial investment, with Rogers having left the Etihad for a meagre fee of only £1m, after failing to make a first-team appearance for the club.

Formerly of West Bromwich Albion’s academy – which he left in 2019 to move to Manchester – the Halesowen-born starlet has certainly blossomed in his new surroundings.

The fear will be that the same might occur with another rising star, Kane Taylor…

Man City already sold the next Morgan Rogers

Losing the likes of Delap and Trafford – the latter of whom cost the Clarets an initial £15m – perhaps does not sting too greatly considering the sizeable fees that were raked in, hence the greater frustration regarding Rogers’ exit on the cheap.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

That frustration may well be replicated after losing midfield starlet, Taylor, over the summer, with the 20-year-old having returned to former club Villa for a reported fee of just £750k.

A promising midfield talent, in a similar mould to Rogers, the elegant left-footer had originally left Villa Park for the Etihad as a teenager back in 2019, only to make his return to Birmingham back in August.

Player

Current club

Market value

Phil Foden

Man City

£117m

Cole Palmer

Chelsea

£109m

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich

£54m

Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

£34m

Romeo Lavia

Chelsea

£34m

Rico Lewis

Man City

£34m

Brahim Diaz

Real Madrid

£29m

Jadon Sancho

Chelsea

£26m

Felix Nmecha

Borussia Dortmund

£23m

Unlike Rogers, Taylor has made a direct switch to the Midlands side from City, although he now has the chance to follow in his compatriot’s footsteps by making his mark under Unai Emery.

A first-team chance has yet to emerge for the versatile talent – who can also play at left-back or centre-back – although he has racked up 17 appearances for Villa’s U21 side this season, scoring once.

Described as a player who is ‘who is highly rated within scouting circles’ by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, the youngster also mirrors Rogers in being a ‘powerful midfielder’ who typically operates in an advanced central role, as per Man City’s website.

While the blow of losing such a talent has been eased by the presence of a 25% sell-on clause as part of the deal last summer, as Tanswell noted, it remains to be seen whether City will be left to rue their decision to let him go over the coming years.

Pep could unleash his own Chido Obi in Man City's 18-year-old "goalscorer"

Man City could well have their own teenage goal machine brewing…

1 ByRobbie Walls Mar 5, 2025

Abbott picked up three wickets as Stoinis’ half-century went in vain

AAP06-Jan-2023English import James Vince fell short of a century but delivered at the top of the order to steer the Sydney Sixers to a six-wicket win over Melbourne Stars.Marcus Stoinis blasted 52 off 28 balls to lift the Stars to a competitive 5 for 173 at the MCG on Friday. But Sixers reached their target with just one ball to spare on the back of Vince’s unbeaten 91 from 59 deliveries and some late hitting from Jordan Silk.Silk belted a six from the third ball of Luke Wood’s dramatic final over and was controversially given out caught behind before Dan Christian hit the winning runs.The result was the Sixers’ ninth consecutive win over the Stars – a record BBL period of dominance by one club over another.It left the Stars languishing in last place, while the Sixers are level on wins at the top with the Scorchers and Thunder.The Sixers required 36 off the final three overs when Vince belted back-to-back sixes off Trent Boult (1 for 39).A further 11 runs were required off the last over and Vince should have been run-out looking for two off the first ball, but fellow Englishman Joe Clarke missed his first swipe at the stumps with the batter short his ground.The massive six from Silk (15 off 10) tilted the match the Sixers’ way but he was judged to have nicked Wood’s next ball behind and was given his marching orders. Christian hit his only ball faced off Wood for four, steering the Sixers to 4-176.Vince’s season-high innings included nine fours and two sixes as he fell narrowly short of becoming the first player in Sixers history to score a century.Earlier, Stoinis showcased his value as one of the BBL’s great entertainers in his first match since announcing a deal to play in the ILT20.The Stars’ premier power hitter was travelling at run-a-ball for his first 12 deliveries faced and exploded with 38 off the next 12, bringing the home crowd to life.Stoinis blasted seven fours and two sixes, playing the lead role as the Stars took 34 runs off Chris Jordan and Hayden Kerr during the power surge.Stars opener Tom Rogers, signed as a replacement for injured skipper Glenn Maxwell, rode his luck at times and cashed in with a career-best knock of 48 from 33 deliveries.But he was denied a maiden half-century at BBL level when he fell to a brilliant diving catch by Jordan in the outfield.Sean Abbott (3-31) was the game’s only multiple wicket-taker.The Stars lost Campbell Kellaway to a cut hand after he was hurt taking a catch to dismiss Daniel Hughes (28).